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Over the Mid-Atlantic, 7:40 p.m. local, Dec. 8
Our Dover-based C-17 lifted off from Spangdahlem at 2:55 p.m., escaping a sunny but cold Saturday in Germany. The previous day's snowstorm had coated the region with a few inches of the white stuff and despite the sunshine, a thick white frosting remained on parts of the jet's wings, elevators and roof. De-icing was slow, as only one of the special ladder trucks was available.
The two Humvees and trailers, the large crate and the tall metal box are still on board, chained or strapped into the C-17's cargo deck, just as they were on yesterday's flight from Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. Gone are most of the 20 soldiers who were on board, scattered to locations in Germany, Italy or elsewhere. One staff sergeant remains – he's on emergency leave – along with a civilian contractor.
Such missions are a way of life for Air Force cargo jet crews, including this 3rd Airlift Squadron crew, which flew us out of Afghanistan, where the war is now into its eleventh year. Although they come and go, the fliers feel they make a major contribution to the fight.
"We get people there. We get people home," said Capt. Timothy "T.J." Jastrab, the flight's mission commander, during a break from the cockpit. "I think we have a critical role in the war in Afghanistan. Some of my favorite missions are bringing home troops. That's an honor for me. Because I love 'em."
Some of those troops, however, are critically wounded. "Aeromedical evacuation is probably the hardest job we do," said Staff Sgt. Chris Conklin, one of the crew's two loadmasters. "There's so many people involved, and it's so hard to keep accountability of everyone – especially if you have an emergency on the ground. So it takes a lot of coordination on their part and our part."
It's also hard, he admitted, because it's just tough to see the damage. "I just try to do it as thorough and quickly as possible," he said. "I've carried multiple patients where [a delay of] 20 minutes would be critical."
Some, sadly, have not made it. They're coming home in coffins. The 3rd Airlift Squadron fliers, who fall under Dover's 436th Airlift Wing, are accustomed to the duty. They carry the coffins onto the jet – they're the ones who drape them with American flags – off after they land in Germany for crew rest, on again and, if a special detail isn't present in Dover, carry them off again – performing a ceremony at each stop.
"In a way, you have an opportunity to show respect for someone who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country," said Senior Airman Tim Davis, the crew's other loadmaster, who performed the solemn duty in Iraq as well as Afghanistan. "At the same time, it's hard, because you know someone lost a husband, father, son or daughter."
"It's a sobering moment," said Staff Sgt. Chance Wisdom of the 736th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, the mission's crew chief. "Those, and the AE missions, they tug at my heart."
The long flights and frequent missions are tough on the crews. "It's a grind," said the co-pilot, 1st Lt. Richard Johnson, who took the controls at takeoff, alongside Jastrab. "But I like going out and seeing the world."
The long flights demand diversions, which range from serious study to computer games – or, if not on duty, sleep. In the cockpit, the chatter begins shortly after takeoff, with opinions on topics such as alternative energy squeezed between monitoring air traffic controllers and checking systems statuses and map locations.
For Johnson, who is a young pilot and "happily single," the frequent time away from Dover isn't bad. "I really like ocean hops," he said – time, once the autopilot is on, to prep for a planned Master's in aeronautical engineering (and to squeeze in a quick video game). As the troops and cargo slowly cease returning from Afghanistan to the U.S. and the Obama administration's "pivot" to a greater emphasis on Pacific operations shifts Dover's responsibilities, he said he'll be ready. "I wouldn't mind going to Hawaii," he said with a laugh.
His flying partner for much of the mission had a different priority. "I have to keep up with my wife," said Capt. Derek Combee, another mission pilot, seated to Johnson's right. "If she flies somewhere cool, I have to stay one step behind her."
Combee's wife Heather is a KC-135 pilot with the New Jersey Air National Guard. "She's the best 135 pilot there," he said. He paused. "If you publish that, it couldn't be bad for me," he said. Johnson broke up. – William H. McMichael


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Brand protection is always something that large companies invest in, so it should come to no surprise to us that Microsoft is engaging in legal proceedings against Russian businessman Dmitry Shapovalov over "using the Windows trademark" in the domain name Windows.ru. The domain — registered in October of 1998 and paid off until 2012, according to Whois — is privately registered and paid off until the November 1st, 2012. The Moscow Commercial Court will hear the lawsuit on April 11th.
RAPSI — the Russian Legal Information Agency — reports that Microsoft stated that the company owns the rights to the Windows trademark, though Shapovalov's attorney labeled their claim as "unclear".
The Next Web has reached out to Microsoft for comment, and are yet to update their post with a response. Funnily enough, the domain is currently forwarded to the Russian Wikipedia entry for a physical, actual "window". I did search for a cached version of this website on Google to no avail; does anyone have any idea as to what (if anything) this site was in the past?

subset: commoncrawl


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"Marvel's Avengers Assemble" reunites the most popular super hero team - Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Hawkeye and Black Widow, along with newcomer Falcon, marking the first time in animation history this distinct team of heroes will join forces.
Led by Iron Man, the heroes train and live together in their new headquarters in Avengers Tower. The planet's most dangerous villains don't stand a chance when the Avengers assemble - whether they are stopping Dr. Doom from conquering Asgard, Attuma driving the Atlantean Army into New York City or Dracula unleashing vampire hordes, the Avengers must work together to succeed.


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You've blocked it out, haven't you?
My Shamef-ck showed up at Teen Choice in August shamef-cking me to hell in his rolled up jeans and no socks and loafers, puckering his lips and posing like a cross dressing private school punk ballerina stuck inside a music box, what?
I don't know what. I can't explain what. Because even after this, I still would. And no one would know.
But you've heard his real voice, right? You know that Ed Westwick speaks with a hot ass British accent? If no, check out the clip below. Actually rather cute. He's being interviewed by his real life girlfriend Jessica Szohr and he can't seem to look her in the eye without giggling. OMG they heart each other so much!
Please. It's sexy as f-ck. It's the best moments in high school. This boy definitely likes girls.
Photos from Wenn.com


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I promise I'll read this post through an extra time or two — and have Rose comb it as well — as I'm experiencing something very new to me and my MS. I'm calling it a "mental exacerbation."
I have met a few people whose executive function, memory, and even general cognition have taken a direct hit from our old nemesis: multiple sclerosis. I can remember a few conversations in these pages having to do with increased difficulty with multitasking and attention, and I've lived with some of those issues for many years now. What I am now experiencing is beginning to frighten me quite a bit, but, as odd as it may seem, I also feel great comfort as well.
The past few days have found me completely overwhelmed by even the smallest list, stack, or process.
Time management might as well be Greek calculus, writing out bills feels like I'm managing the national debt, and upcoming MS events for which I have significant responsibility feel like I'm planning Operation Overlord with a broken pencil on a wetted cocktail napkin… in Cyrillic! And I know that this stuff isn't that difficult.
I'm calling it an "exacerbation" because it seems to fit into the parameters we know so well: "To be a true exacerbation, the attack must last at least 24 hours and be separated from the previous attack by at least 30 days" (from the National MS Society). This has been going on for about four days now and it is VERY new to me.
A mundane task, such as pulling up the fava bean plants yesterday, can be done without too much issue as long as there are no distractions. It seems that there were distractions, as Caryn found envelopes in the post box that I'd opened and replaced, the yard waste bin was left in the middle of the front garden and I put my garden gloves in the fridge along with the shelled beans.
Later in the evening, while trying to put together a very simple dinner of store-bought tortellini with some of those freshly harvested favas — a two-pan meal — I absolutely trashed the kitchen, added the cooked beans to the boiling water rather than the pasta, and dumped boiling water all over the place (but, miraculously, NOT on myself or the Pack).
If there is an upside to this whole experience it would be that I am aware of it. I knew immediately that the beans weren't supposed to go into the water, for example. And I am greatly comforted that I have a loving and understanding partner who is able and more than willing to work with me on a new plan for all of this crap.
Last night I took the very uncomfortable step of admitting to my wife that I don't think I can handle my own finances any longer. It was the most difficult admission that I've had to make to myself since the very in-my-face realization that I could no longer do my former job.
I have felt tinges of these issues over the past few months, but I found them passing and (I'll only admit this to you) guess I suffered from a bit of the River in Egypt Syndrome — DENIAL!
That I am able to get these thoughts down on the screen is a good sign. That it has taken me well over an hour now… That worries me.
It looks like it's time for some new coping strategies, a trip to the neuropsych, and a call to my MS team.
Am I alone here in admitting that this is one of my Top 3 MS fears?
Wishing you and your family the best of health.
Don't forget that you can also follow me via my Life With MS Facebook page and on Twitter.
Important: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not Everyday Health.


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Or, How I Distract Myself from Woes
Sammy Squirrel's eyes came open over the weekend, at long last. High time he had a squirrel friend to grow up with, lest he begin identifying as a small, furry human being with superior climbing ability.
I called up Chris. "Do you have a buddy for my squirrel?"
"I've got 25 of 'em in assorted sizes to choose from," she said.
Yikes! Gone are the days when I last had 25 squirrels at once. That takes over your whole life.
So I went to see her little darlings, and there were two just Sammy's size, and they all liked each other.
"Why don't you just leave him here?" asked Chris, "and take these instead?"
Off came the cover of a small basket, and nestled inside were three "grayling" squirrels, as we call the ones who are no longer pure pink. Three little girls, two of them with umbilical stumps still attached. Five days old, give or take a day.
Of course she knew I couldn't resist. Besides, Sammy is quickly getting to the stage at which he will need a wire cage so he can begin learning to climb. And a wire cage, unlike a small box, doesn't fit very well in my mother's apartment, and I expect to be spending quite some time there in the coming days.
Then this morning a veterinarian's office called me and the receptionist said somebody had just dropped off a little Deer Mouse, eyes still closed. They had called Chris, and Chris had suggested they call me; she knows I love mice best of all.
When I picked mousie up, I just casually asked, "Does she have a name?"
"The girls here have been calling her Angelina Ballerina."
"Then that's who she shall be."
Except I've modified the name, to suit her personality better. She's Angelina Bombolina. (I know it's ridiculous: a mouse with an 8-syllable name!)
The heavy, hard housework is done for now, which is fortunate, as our air conditioner is not working and the repair people won't be here until evening. Demetrios is at work Tuesdays through Thursdays. So today I am happily ensconced in my nursery, feeding Angelina Bombolina .2 ccs of formula every 2 hours and the three infant squirrels 1 cc every 4 hours, and keeping everybody clean and sweet-scented. By tomorrow I will have synchronized their schedules, but today it seems I have someone to feed almost every hour on the hour, and that suits me just fine. I'm taking a break from tears, from worries, from woes, tending my babies and doing little spurts of gentle housework in between.
Lord, have mercy!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
My Nursery Today
Or, How I Distract Myself from Woes
2 comments:
- Emily H. said...
It's so nice to have little ones to look after! I hope they keep you busy enough to stave off worrying and what not. It's just exhausting to not have an outlet. I'm so relieved that your father has been doing better. Praise to our Lord Jesus!
All my love!
- August 20, 2008 at 10:45 PM
- Tony said...
Angelina Bombolina? Suddenly I've got songs from "Cats" stuck in my head.
- August 20, 2008 at 11:26 PM


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Post or search for available jobs in the profession for ASA Members.
Login Required to access ASA's Job Bank. ASA requires you to set up a username and password. These credentials also provide ASA members access to "members only" content 24/7.
Get Started! Login, then click on ASA Job Bank under Quick Links in the lower left navigation.
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ASA's Job Bank provides members with:
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text:
FameCoin (FAME) Overview
General InformationFameCoin, also known as FAME uses QuBit algorithm to secure transactions and it has 50000000 total coins that are not fully pre mined.
For more information see list bellow.
Name: FameCoin (FAME)
Algorithm: QuBit
Proof type: PoW/PoS
Total coin supply: 50000000
If you want to improve this contact us or leave a review with resources that would help other people to know more about FameCoin (FAME).
FameCoin (FAME) reviews
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text:
**Due the COVID-19 pandemic, please check with hosts and venues to confirm event details are up to date.**
For a curated list of our favorite things to do this week, click here.
If you have an event you would like to submit to our community calendar, you can do that here.
- This event has passed.
W Connection Widows Helping Widows Rebuild Westchester Chapter
January 31, 2018 @ 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
The W Connection Widows Helping Widows Rebuild Their Lives Mid-Westchester Chapter Meeting. Join us to discuss topics and issues to help widows rebuild their lives after the loss of a spouse. The meetings are on the last Wednesday of each month, the next meeting is January 31, 6 – 7:30pm at the JCC of Mid-Westchester. These groups are for widows and run by widows. Please RSVP by contacting us via http://www.wconnection.org/contact.php if you are interested in attending a complimentary trial meeting. If you would like to join after your trial meeting, membership to The W Connection is $40 annually which gives you access to all of our chapters, programs and monthly newsletter. ****This chapter is currently LOOKING FOR a CO-LEADER to help run the meeting along with one of the current co-leaders, please email email@example.com if interested.****
*Please check with all venues to confirm the most up to date event details prior to arrival.


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Local municipalities resolve in opposition to NY Safe Act
Staff Writer
HOOSICK, N.Y. -- Local towns and counties are protesting New York's latest gun control law with non-binding resolutions in support of the Second Amendment.
Both Washington and Rensselaer counties have joined a growing list of municipalities, mostly rural and upstate, to make official proclamations against the New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act of 2013 (NY Safe Act), passed Jan. 15.
In a written release Tuesday from the Rensselaer County Legislature, local Rep. Lester Goodermote said the new law "impacts law-abiding citizens and does little to disarm dangerous criminals or deal with the problems of the dangerously mentally ill."
The majority press release said the positive vote, which passed 14 to 4, was "in support of the Second Amendment and to state opposition to the NY Safe Act." Legislators in the release said they had heard from constituents "outraged" by the state law and the impact on their constitutional rights.
On Monday, the Hoosick town board unanimously passed a similar resolution, based on a bill from the Republican-controlled state Assembly. Both local Assemblymen Tony Jordan and Steven McLaughlin have spoken out in opposition to the law, with McLaughlin apologizing earlier this month after saying Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini would "be proud" of the way the gun control measure was passed.
Hoosick's resolution called the state law "rash (and) confusing" and an infringement on the constitutional right to bear arms, and called for less restrictive measures like better mental health, anti-bullying, and enforcement of existing laws. The resolution ended by stating there's "no proven corollary between firearm control and a reduction in crime."
There was no discussion Monday other than a reading of the resolution, before which town Supervisor Keith Cipperly said he personally believed the state law infringed on the Second Amendment.
According to the governor's office, the NY Safe Act's key provisions include a requirement for mental health professionals to report when there's reason to believe a patient is likely to cause serious harm to themselves or others, a stricter definition and ban on "assault weapons," regulations on ammunition clips and a limit of their capacity to seven rounds (down from a previous limit of 10), a requirement for re-certifying handgun and assault rifle permits every five years, and mandatory background checks, including on private sales.
The state law also stiffened the penalty for murder of a first responder, extended and strengthened Kendra's Law (requiring mandatory outpatient treatment), a requirement for the surrender of weapons after an order of protection and the finding of a substantial risk by a court judge, and a requirement for "safe storage" of firearms in households where individuals live who have been convicted of a crime, involuntarily committed, or are subject to an order of protection.
The NY Safe Act also increased the penalty for possession of a firearm on school grounds or a school bus and other prohibited acts under state law. After the law was passed, a frequently asked questions page was created online at www.governor.ny.gov/2013/gun-reforms-faq, and a phone hotline was set up at 1-855-LAW-GUNS.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


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"We want to ignite a passion for design among American children and also raise money to help families cope with serious illnesses." Thus spake Carroll Shelby, announcing his partnership with Road & Track and the Automotive Fine Arts Society to sponsor the sixth annual Kids Automotive Art Contest, which has been on hiatus since 2002. A modest $5 entry fee will fund Shelby's foundation, which combats children's illnesses worldwide. So, got an aspiring little Chris Bangle or J Mays frolicking about the house? Get them to stop scribbling their budding "form vocabularies" on the living room wall and put 'em to work dreaming up the car or truck they'd drive "when they grow up." The grand prize ain't chump change: a $5000 savings bond.
A variety of competitive categories, from K-12, means an almost incomprehensible range of possible submissions. What, for example, would the judges gathered at L.A.'s Petersen Automotive Museum on April 19 make of my five-year-old's "flaming monster truck," depicted above? Bring on the motorized My Little Pony rollers, the jet-assisted coupes decked out with Spider Man's color scheme, and, if they're worth their salt at the upper end, lots of rigs suitable for Harry, Ron and Hermione. If I put my daughter on it, I'll likely see a Winnebago of sparkling pink with wheels shaped from cotton candy. Check out all the details here.


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Beautiful Restaurant Design Ideas
The good or bad estimation of a restaurant is not only instilled by the quality and quantity of food. According to Davis et all., in his book "Food and beverage management", restaurant can be valued on: food, business, social, location and accessibility, service, cleanliness and hygiene, atmosphere and price. Those costumer expectations should be fulfilled by any provider of goods and services, where it can bring a good impact hereinafter.The rule is applied also for fast food restaurants. In this article we will show you the consideration to create a good fast food restaurant design ideas.
The good design for fast food restaurant is formed from the things below:
1. Interior design and decoration
First sight at a restaurant is a very important thing. Potential customers often see the appearance of a restaurant before they decide where to eat. Restaurant decoration is supposed to make consumers feel comfortable. The interior design itself includes many things, such as the room size and shape, furniture and its placement, color selection, lighting, air conditioning, etc. If consumers pay a high price, consumers will expect more about the decor.
2. Table and seating arrangements
Table and seating arrangement should not to be too crowded. It is necessary to provide enough space for both employees and consumers to and from freely without disturbing the other customers.
3. Additional Services
Additional services are more services offered by the restaurant to enhance guest satisfaction. For example, when the guests have their birthday, restaurant service provider gives a surprise birthday cake as a compliment or just give them a birthday card as an attention.
4. The age, appearance and gender of other customers
The age, appearance and gender of the other customers will give effect to the consumer. For example, if there are guests who are talking about business issues in a restaurant, then on the nearest table, there are students of junior high or high school who tend to be noisy, so that the guests will be uncomfortable.
5. Noise level in the restaurant
This is a consideration about the music volume and the crowd in a restaurant.
6. Room temperature
Generally, if the room temperature is getting hotter, consumers will tend to be more irritable or uncomfortable.
7. The harmony of the product, service, theme and environment
Creating the unique concept and adding the suitable decorations and furniture will increase the personal impression in estimating the restaurant.
Read more »


text: I loved reading Tom Larkworthy's recent post on Edinburgh (Scotland) Hacklab's blog on his experiments with building an OSHW robot arm with a reach of 1m, positionable to within 0.1mm and able to lift up to 2kg. Rather than sourcing expensive components, Tom's goal was to develop an optical tracking system that would allow the use of commonplace motors. In the post, he tries a couple of different techniques including edge detection of a Lego construct using VRML. Ultimately this post appears to relect Tom's initial experiments, and he still has a lot of work ahead of him.


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aboutMe and Pay (for Fife Council employees)
About the Team
The Transaction team, created under the 3S Programme, comprises staff transferred from the former Directorate Resources, central Payroll, Pensions and Corporate Services recruitment.
The team is spilt into: Payroll; AboutMe; Recruitment; Establishment Control; and Pensions. The key high level roles for each section are as follows:
Payroll – to ensure all authorised new starters, leavers, changes to terms and conditions, personal HR and payroll data are recorded promptly and accurately on iTrent, leading to accurate payment of salaries and expenses.
AboutMe – Provide first line service desk support to employees and managers, support self-service (such as booking a holiday), sickline, general mail and Payroll enquiries.
Recruitment – Responsible for advertising and safer recruitment checks for appointed people into vacant positions and supporting managers using the recruitment portal, Talentlink.
Establishment Control – Ensuring compliance with creation, deletion and maintenance of all iTrent posts. Supporting managers during managing change exercises. Confirming contract changes to employees.
Pensions – Administering the Local Government Pension Scheme on behalf of members, including providing general information, estimates of benefits, increasing pension benefits and calculating benefits to leavers. General enquiries in respect of teachers pensions and awards paid under their early retirement scheme.
The Transaction team's general mailing address is: Revenue & Shared Services, Ground Floor North, Rothesay House, Rothesay Place, Glenrothes, KY7 5PQ.